Hino 500 Series heading our way

Hino’s next generation of the 500 Series Standard Cab models will arrive in Australia before the end of the year.

We saw it at the Tokyo Motor Show last October and it seems local Hino management has fast-tracked the all-new 500 Series Standard Cab FC, FD and FE models for the Australian market.

The standard cab is arriving less than two years after the launch of the 500 Series Wide Cab models, which have had a major impact on Hino’s market share in this sector.

According to Hino product manager Daniel Petrovski, the new Standard Cab will feature “the most comprehensive active safety package offered by a Japanese manufacturer in the current Australian medium duty category market”.

“There will be new power and torque ratings and more transmission options creating myriad driveline solutions designed to deliver the next level of driving performance and fuel efficiency,” Mr Petrovski said.

An all-new interior with Hino’s expansive driver safety packages is likely to raise the bar for style and occupant comfort among the Japanese manufacturers.

Full Australian specifications and pricing of the new FC, FD and FE models will be available in late November 2018.

Camera IconThe Ford Transit surged head in the van market

Transit a sales winner

Results are in from VFACTS for light commercial and truck sales for the first seven months of the year.

July usually reflects the commercial vehicle market taking a breather after tax-induced end of financial year purchases.

The bump up in June includes many fleet purchases brought forward to use some of the extra income earned from the recovery.

It was certainly reflected in buses and vans, with a big drop in the light van market.

It was down 55 per cent, with all the players taking a hit.

But medium vans held steady, boosted by a stellar month for Ford’s Transit, up 69 per cent over July last year. However, one-tonne pick-ups ignored the seasonal factor and continued to rise — 4x2s were up 7.2 per cent and 4x4s 7.9.

The HiLux 4x2 sold twice as many as last year, while the 4x4 was up 3 per cent.

As for heavy commercials, they completely ignored the time of year. In the up to 8-tonne GVM sector Hino would be happy with a 45 per cent improvement, but ticked off to see Isuzu more than match that with a 51 per cent jump.

What does the Toyota-owned truck builder have to do to catch its nemesis?

Medium duty trucks, which include most of the vocational working trucks keeping our streets and suburbs clean and well maintained, strengthened by 23 per cent.

UD was the best improver here, up a healthy 233 per cent over last year and helping to pull back a very slow first half — although Isuzu still remained on top.

The heavy-duty market further underlined recovery.

It was up 17 per cent for the month and a very strong 312 per cent for the seven months.

Scania won this sector in July, with Isuzu only one truck behind. Then followed Volvo, Mecedes-Benz and Kenworth.